Does a sale in the USA mean assembly in the USA?

No. American sales also move cars built in Canada, Mexico, Europe and Asia. Where a car was auctioned has nothing to do with the origin condition, which is why the assembly plant of a RAV4 is checked separately, on the VIN.

Who deals with customs clearance?

We do. We put together the proof of origin, prepare the customs declaration and keep contact with the agency. For a RAV4 that qualifies on its VIN we apply for the 0% rate, and the customs office decides on the documents.

What about models built in two countries at once?

That is a common case, and it is exactly where the VIN becomes essential. Two RAV4 cars from the same model year can carry different rates, 0% and 10%, because they came off lines on different continents.

Can I check a car before the auction ends?

Yes, and that is the point of doing it. Enter the VIN from the lot while bidding is still open, read the assembly plant, and you know whether to count on 0% or 10% before you set the highest figure you are willing to go to.

Does a RAV4 get zero duty?

It depends on the car. The preference covers cars finally assembled in the States, and the RAV4 is also produced outside the USA. Type in the VIN and we read the country and city of the assembly plant, so you see whether this car meets the 0% condition.

Toyota RAV4 from the Georgetown plant and 0% duty

American assembly covers 4% of the RAV4 cars in our database, and their numbers open with 4T3. That helps you sift listings, but the 0% rate cannot be pinned to a model — only the plant read for one specific VIN says whether the car meets the origin condition.

Where is the Toyota RAV4 assembled?

RAV4 cars off American lines carry the VIN prefixes 4T3 in our database. A prefix shows the manufacturer and the country, but the 0% rate is decided by the final assembly plant read for the specific number. The table shows how many cars from each plant have passed through us.

Plant	Country	VIN prefix	Cars in our database	Duty
Woodstock	Canada	2T3	67,768	10%
Obu	Japan	JTE, JTM	31,207	10%
Toyota City	Japan	JT3, JTM	16,800	10%
Tahara	Japan	JT3, JTE, JTM	15,904	10%
Cambridge	Canada	2T3	15,551	10%
Georgetown	United States	4T3	7,063	0% duty
Tahara Plant	Japan	JTM	2,884	10%
Nagakusa	Japan	JTM	2,285	10%
Ohbu	Japan	JTM	30	10%
—	Canada	2T3	1	10%

Made in USA • Tax 0%

How do you check a specific car?

The VIN settles the matter in seconds. RAV4 cars from plants in the USA carry the prefixes 4T3 here, but we look deeper — at the final assembly plant tied to the whole number. Only that answers the question of 0% or 10%.

How much will you save?

The zero rate works in two places at once: 10% of duty disappears and the base for 23% VAT falls with it. That is why the difference across the whole bill on a US-assembled RAV4 is larger than duty alone. The result follows customs value, so put yours into the calculator.

Work out the import cost

What the import cost is made of

You get the rates here, not a finished figure — the calculator produces that on current data. Since 2026-07-01, duty on cars finally assembled in the States is 0% and 10% on everything else. Excise (3.1% or 18.6%) and 23% VAT are charged whatever the origin of the RAV4.

Component	Rate
Duty — car assembled in the USA	0%
Duty — everything else	10%
Excise	3.1% up to 2.0 l, 18.6% above 3.5 l
VAT	23%

Rates, not amounts — the calculator works the sum out on current data.

Zero-duty paperwork — our job

We handle customs from the auction to the registration desk. A RAV4 with an American plant is declared under the preference in force since 2026-07-01, the rest at the standard 10% duty. Which documents are needed follows from the car's data, not from the seller's description.

What to watch for when buying at auction

Risk on a Toyota RAV4 from auction sits in three places: the extent of the damage, the completeness of the paperwork and the history of earlier repairs. None of them touches the duty rate, which follows the assembly country alone, but all three decide what getting the car roadworthy really costs.

Damage	Cars in our database
Front end	3,663
Side	1,126
Rear end	1,048

From the USA or from Europe?

The key difference is procedural rather than a matter of badge. A car from the European market goes through no import, a car from the States does — and then the assembly country counts: an American line means 0%, any other 10%, with excise and 23% VAT on top. For a RAV4, the check starts at the VIN.

See current listings: Toyota RAV4